Child of our Time, tonight, BBC1, 9pm

[OldieMum]

For anyone who hasn't seen this before - it's a fascinating, long-term study of a group of children born around 2000 being done by a team working with Prof. Robert Winston. This is the latest instalment, focussing on how children first become aware of social distinctions like class and race and also looking at their first day at school.

This is a series, and they couldn't show all 20 families in a single hour programme (would be too bitty and annoying). I hope we'll see the other families over the next few weeks.

I think last year it was repeated on BBC3 a few weeks later so they may do that again this year.

Must admit I asked dh why can't they show families with a stable bcakground more. My dd is a similar age to the children but I could only relate to the Jewish family when it came to development. I am interested in the families that have had problems, but I would like to see non-porblem families too to compare with.

thanks for that xx

Mohoho - That family you know were in last years series. I remember them because their little boy was quite shy in yet had oodles of slef-esteem because of how much positive fun attention his parents - especially his father - aoid to him. He was lovely and it really warmed my heart to see how his dad playing with him in the garden.

My dd appears to be shy too but it is encouraging for me to see that self-esteem and out-goingness aren't essentially related.

I too feel that James' mum is awfully disadvantaged in yet has all good intentions. She is such a nice person. That house they were given was in a dire condition - it's so hard not to be sad for them.

As for the big house, small house experiment. It made me laugh that they thought a teacher would live in the big house. err, no, in my area, most of us teachers live in the samll terraced house!

Wasn't James the boy whose mother was escaping from a violent partner?

Lonelymum, couldn't agree more. I can't relate to a lot of the families that they feature, although I find it fascintating. Is a stable family background too boring for TV? I do hope they feature more of the other families.

AS far as I know James immediate family is NOT the problem - but his Mum seemed to be always on the run from a violent ex. And very, very stressed as a result - lots of shouting and threats. But clearly lots of love and care for them too. James did seem to be doing well.

Sorry for typos. Not sure how aoid came about. I meant to type 'attention he gave him'

And self esteem on slef!

(I started a new thread about this by mistake, thanks for the redirection Oldiemum and Furball.)
I have really mixed feelings about this whole series although lots of it is fascinating of course. I am sure that the families will have given the necessary permissions for filming but I still wonder about the privacy and dignity of a child being filmed in some distress like Tyreese and James last night. They are neither old enough nor required to give permission and are unlikely to be old enough to imagine what it means to have one's private life offered up for TV's use. I'm sure Prof Winston would defend this on the grounds that their parents will be able to learn from this and other parents will learn etc. But what about the child's rights to privacy? I wonder how I might have felt if my distress at my parents separation when I was 5 had been filmed for anyone to watch so that they can be informed? Educated? I wonder whether there isn't an argument for their distress being considered as properly private and therefore inappropriate for public consumption. I just keep asking myself "Will the less fortunate children thank their parents for this when they are adults?". Anyone else uncomfortable with this aspect of the series?

Beatie, in our area, the teachers live in the biggest houses and drive the biggest cars! You've never seen so many mercs and 4x4's - it is a source of endless fascination!

I thought the questions asked the children about the houses were extremely leading. All children would be attracted to the larger house because it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Also, the fact that James couldn't say what he wanted to be when he grew up did not strike me as odd. My dd (nearly the same age) says she wants to be a Barbie! I wasn't surprised he couldn't say what the mythical children in the houses wanted to be either. I don't think my children would have responded well to that. He clearly lacks imagination which is not uncommon.

Yes William was from a normal family although his mother seemed a bit anti him which I found a bit disturbing. I would love to have known how that relationship went wrong.

I don't remember last years story about william

could someone fill me in please?

what was it with his mum and him?

I wondered either whether she had wanted a girl OR she was jealous of the relationship between dad and william

Was it either of these two or something else?

Was there a prob with MIL?

I just wish they would expand on some of the things they raise. All that stuff about boys liking boys things and viceversa just isn't the case in our house. DS2 (june 2000) loves pink and barbies, always wants the girl power ranger stuff etc. Is this good? bad? what!!!!?

I just looked at the website - they mention a lot of the other families in the next 3 episodes.

I find it interesting, but it always leaves me asking more questions and questioning some of their analyses.

why didnt willismas dad reprimand him? I woudl have smacked his irritating little face.

she oobv had uissued with her MIl too

VFeist - I always get a cold shiver watching some of the things that get said about the families - do you think there is a way to do these things without impinging on childre's privacy, or should they not be done like this at all? Though I am also frustrated by the 'anecdotal' rather than rigourous way they use experiments, I am fascinated by the issues thrown up.

why didnt willismas dad reprimand him? I woudl have smacked his irritating little face.

she oobv had uissued with her MIl too

oops!

and also I think tyreses mum was correct in her positive role modelling but thugh her babysitting arrangement were odd.

wasnt James' Mum decsribed as haveing " learning difficulties" before.? DH found his story too sad and had to go into anoter room!

aslo finnd hte presenter ratehr narcissitic

I think you're right about James' mum, Coddy. I have a vague recollection of it being mentioned that she has LD in the programme aired around a year or so ago.